USA Today published an op-ed by Wayne Perry, the President of the Boy Scouts of America, in which he urges the 1,400 voting members gathering in Dallas to vote to allow gay youth to be a part of Scouting.

GLAAD wrapped up its press conference in Dallas, as 1,400 members of the Boy Scouts of America National Council meet in Dallas to vote on a resolution critical to equality in Scouting. Get a full recap of today's events and see a video of James Dale speaking about the anti-gay ban by following our live blog at www.glaad.org/scouts.

James Dale was kicked out of the Boy Scouts of America after his 12 year membership was revoked because his local New Jersey newspaper disclosed his sexual orientation after an interview he took part in at a seminar on the health needs of lesbian and gay teenagers at the age of 19.

Anti-gay activists from Alliance Defending Freedom presented less than 19,000 signatures to the Boy Scouts of America requesting that they keep in place their anti-gay membership policy. This compared to the 1.8 million presented in a petition by Scouts for Equality.

This Thursday, 1400 members of the Boy Scouts' National Council will converge in Dallas to vote on a resolution critical to the Boy Scouts' longstanding ban on gay members. Today, Dr. Phil tweeted out his support for equality in the Boy Scouts, as well as posting a longer message to his official Facebook.

The Catholic Church, in a letter to Scouts for Equality (SFE), states that it is "hopeful" about the future of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) even if it votes to include openly gay scouts later this week.

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GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBT acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.more about GLAAD >>